


The Ritual

by LuxLouise



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Masquerade Party, Purebloods, Ritual Magic, Ritual Sacrifice (not shown), Samhain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:34:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxLouise/pseuds/LuxLouise
Summary: Once a year, the Purebloods of magical Britain gather to appease magic.
Relationships: Pansy Parkinson/Adrian Pucey
Comments: 14
Kudos: 13
Collections: Knockturn Tricks or Diagon Treats





	The Ritual

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [KnockturnTricksOrDiagonTreats](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/KnockturnTricksOrDiagonTreats) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Trick: Masquerade/Mask
> 
> Thanks to my beta, you're the best! All remaining mistakes are my own!

You couldn’t Apparate to Peverell Manor. No one knew the exact location except for whoever was chosen to host the Samhain ritual, as soon as the holiday was over, you suddenly lost the location from your memory. No one was sure how the magic worked, just that it did. Pansy’s family hadn’t hosted the gathering since she was too young to attend and wouldn’t host it again until her children— if she ever had them— were well into their years at Hogwarts. No one in their circle spoke about the event, it wasn’t spoken about  _ at all _ until you received an invitation. It was the same every year, a cream coloured envelope was delivered, not by owl but in a flash of magic, a black wax seal with the Peverell coat of arms stamped on the back. Pansy ran her fingers over the thick card stock as she read the invitation she had memorised since she was seven years old.

_ The Pucey Family cordially invites you to the annual Samhain gathering. Drinks will start at seven P.M. followed by Hors D'oeuvres at seven-thirty with Dinner starting at eight. The theme this year will be Masquerade.  _

_ Festivities will begin promptly at Midnight.  _

_ As always, only those named on the envelope are invited.  _

Pansy sighed. It was becoming harder and harder to lie to her friends about why she couldn’t spend Halloween with them. She didn’t know how Draco or Daphne handled the secrets year after year. The one rule was no Muggleborns, Half-Bloods, or any Pure-Blood not from an ancient or noble house. Draco had been married to Hermione Granger for five years, almost immediately after they left Hogwarts after they returned for their eighth year, and Daphne had gone and married the Savior of the wizarding world. Every year on Halloween, they had to lie to their spouse about where they were going, what they were doing, they couldn’t tell them anything and they had to live with that lie all year. Thankfully, with Halloween being the anniversary of Potter’s parent’s deaths, the two liked to spend the evening with their redheaded sidekick, but one day, Pansy didn’t know what would happen when they all started popping kids out.

The night of Samhain, Pansy sat in front of the mirror at her vanity, running a brush through her long black hair. She had grown her hair out shortly after leaving Hogwarts, the blunt black bob had done nothing to soften her image and the way others perceived her was important to Pansy, especially back then. Her hair fell in soft waves, almost down to her arse, she had pulled her fringe back like in photos she had seen of pin-up girls in the forties. The dress she had chosen would give her mother fits but Pansy didn’t care. The black lace dress had sleeves that went just past her wrist and pooled around her high heel clad feet. Though the collar of the dress came up around Pansy’s throat, it was anything but un-sexy. The sheer lace left little to the imagination, black knickers and bra were the only things keeping everyone at the gathering from seeing every part of her. Her mask was black as well, it curved outward, giving her delicate horns and had a blood-red diamond gem in her forehead. 

She looked over to see the invitation glowing red, warning her she had five minutes until the card would turn into a Portkey, taking her to the location where all the guests would arrive before being taken to the Manor by carriage. Swiping blood-red lipstick across her lips and ensuring her mask was firmly in place, Pansy grabbed the invitation just before it swept her away.

A masked man helped her into a carriage, her parents already seated inside. The moment the door closed behind her, Posey Parkinson started in. 

“What on earth do you think you’re wearing, Pansy? What was wrong with the red dress I sent over?”

Pansy was certain that one day her eyes would stay rolled back in her head after speaking with her mother.

“I’m a grown woman, Mother. I can choose my dress.” She turned to look out the small window of the carriage.

Her mother continued to prattle on as they got closer and closer to the Manor; how Pansy needed to find a husband and get married, have an heir and a spare, needed to start acting the part of the perfect Pure-Blood wife and stop wasting her time with  _ undesirables. _ The moment the carriage came to a stop, Pansy jumped out of the carriage as fast as her long dress would allow, taking the hand of another masked man. 

The walkway leading up to Peverell Manor was lined with floating lanterns lighting the path. She was able to put enough distance between herself and her parents that she started to slow down a bit, thankful for the comfort charms on her heels. The large double doors swung open and she started up the steps towards them. Walking into the darkness, Pansy smiled.

* * *

Sipping a glass of the finest champagne Galleons could buy, Pansy noted that the Pucey’s had spared no expense for their turn at hosting. Her eyes scanned the room, looking to see who she could recognise through masks. Greg wasn’t hard to spot, still the hulking mass he had been in Hogwarts but had filled out with more muscle, his arm wrapped tightly around his new wife, Astoria Goyle nee Greengrass. They were speaking with Draco, Daphne, and Theo who had stopped by, kissed her cheek, whispering to her they needed to all get together the following week for a family dinner. 

“You couldn’t look more disinterested if you tried.”

Pansy whipped around to find the source of the voice that whispered in her ear, finding Adrian Pucey leaning against the door that led out onto the veranda, a glass of what was most likely firewhisky in his hand. 

_ Merlin, he’s a pretty bastard. _

“While your mother does put together a lovely evening, I’m avoiding my mother and whatever man-child she has scrounged up to take me out on a pity date.”

She watched as Adrian laughed. He hadn’t always been a pretty bastard but age had been kind to him. His sandy blonde hair was shaved short on the sides but still had a bit of length on top and was swooped to the side in a way that was much too attractive. Pushing off the doorway, he walked towards her. 

“Perhaps I can help with that.” He held out his hand toward her, an invitation.

_ What the hell? _

Taking his hand, Pansy allowed Adrian to lead her into the dining room, pulling her seat out for her. Dinner appeared and the wine glasses filled, Lord Pucey lifted his glass, prompting everyone to follow his lead.

“To our combined purpose.”

Everyone around the table repeated the phrase and took a drink. Dinner continued, murmured conversations between guests around the table could be heard but all Pansy was focused on was the feel of Adrian’s thigh pressed lightly against hers. She wasn’t lacking for someone to bring home on any given night but there was something about him. As everyone was required to keep their mask on all evening, it was hard to sneak glances out of the corner of her eye when all she could see was the matte black of her mask. When she had taken a chance and glanced over at him, she turned back quickly when her eyes locked onto blue peeking out of Adrian’s silver and gold mask.

When dinner ended, Adrian led her into the ballroom where music was playing from nowhere, keeping a firm grip on her hand until they were in the middle of the dance floor. He spun her out and began leading her around the dance floor with the ease of someone who had been put in dance lessons since he was young. When he pulled her close against him after spinning her again, his hand lingered on the small of her back.

“You ready for tonight?” 

Pansy blew out a breath. “Is anyone ready for it? We’re supposed to have changed, I have Muggle-born friends. I go out into the Muggle world all the time.”

“I know, I do too. It’s our duty though, it’s how we protect our world, when I was marked, I believed in the cause but now...’ Adrian said quietly. “Care for a drink?” he asked her.

“Sure, that would be lovely.” 

Pansy followed him over to where glasses of champagne sat on a table. She looked up at the clock, her hands shaking as she took the glass Adrian handed her, noting they had less than an hour before the ritual began. 

“Do you ever think we’ll be like our parents?” Pansy asked him, cursing the quivering her voice. “Not being affected by what we’re about to do? I just keep thinking that it will be my turn in fifteen years.” 

Adrian grabbed her free hand tightly. “I hope we never become immune to what we’re doing. Our parents are from a different generation, with that murdering lunatic leading them around. They were raised to hate Muggles, Muggle-borns, and they tried to lead us all down that same path. When it becomes our turn, we need to make sure we’re not only doing our duty to the magical community.” He took a long drink of champagne before continuing.“A duty that no one but our families can ever know about anyway. But we also need to make sure we show honour through the ritual in a way our parents never have.”

She looked up and locked eyes with him again, a slight nod at the question in his eyes. The gentle feel of his lips against hers, opening her mouth to grant his tongue entrance. Pansy melted against him, ignoring the way her mask was digging into her cheek, it had been so long since someone had made her feel like this, feel wanted.

Adrian pulled away slightly, looked around and then pulled into a shadowy alcove that was down the hall leading to the ritual room. He pulled her mask off followed quickly by his own. He walked her backwards, pressing her back against the rough stone wall, his hands skimming her thighs, her sides, running down her back until they came to rest on her arse, gripping tightly. His lips trailing down her cheek, behind her ear. 

He had just started on the buttons at her collar when a bell sounded, pulling them both from one another. Picking up their masks, he helped Pansy fasten hers back on before settling his back on his face.

“Will you take your place by me for the ritual?” Adrian asked her quietly. 

Pansy’s eyes widened, taking a place next to him, next to his family during a ritual, especially one of this nature was a big deal. It was tantamount to declaring a relationship that they hadn’t had before this evening.

“Are you sure? I mean, people will talk.” She cursed the stuttering way her voice came out.

“I want you by my side, something in my magic is telling me you need to be there.”

Nodding, Pansy took the hand he once again offered her and followed him back into the ballroom and down the stairs to the ritual room. Splitting off from Adrian, she walked into the room for cleansing, ignoring her mother who was attempting to get her attention, pressed a kiss to Daphne’s cheek and walked into the cistern before putting on the ritual robe that was laid out for her. 

Entering the room, candles were floating around the ritual circle, flaming high. Adrian was already standing next to his father, a brief smile stole over his face at the sight of Pansy standing there in her gleaming silver ritual robes. He walked away from his father and took her hand, bringing her to where she would stand next to him. Whispers broke out briefly at the sight of Pansy Parkinson standing next to the heir of the Pucey lordship, in the place that indicated his wife. She bit back a smirk at her mother and father’s dumbfounded faces when they caught sight of her place in the circle.

Within a few minutes, everyone who had come to the event was in place in the circle. Adrian’s father, Phillip Pucey raised his wand as an altar rose from the ground. Adrian reached over and grabbed her hand once more before he raised his wand as well. Pansy’s eyes fell on the unconscious Muggle who was laying on top of the altar, draped in a black cloth. Phillip Pucey stepped towards the altar, his wife, Adrian, and Pansy following closely behind when he began to speak.

“It is our duty, as witches and wizards, to protect the sanctity of magic. This duty has been passed down from generation to generation of Ancient and Noble Pure-blood houses. Tonight, we come together to protect magic.”

He made a slashing movement with his wand and the Muggle girl whose hair was just as dark as Pansy’s, woke with a scream.

“May Magic Bless Our Purpose.”


End file.
